Summer is finally here and i'd like to ask all of you how i can make it even better!

The summer I went to uni my best friend made me a box full of stuff she thought I'd need. Maybe you should do something like that for one of your friends. I still have the box, its been everywhre with me.

hmm if you don't mind me askin what kind of items were in the box?

I always told my seniors to take chapstick, lotion, and quarters with them wherever they went in college- you never know when any of those items would come in handy. But a good college wardrobe comes in handy too. Nice clothes (most of the stuff you wore in high school isn't going to carry you through college). You do a lot of walking around campus in college and you never know who you'll run into on campus. Job recruiters often stop by and if they see someone who looks well put together they are more likely to stop you and ask you to come in for an interview. That happened to me often and usually they complimented me on my wardrobe choices.

I would suggest you use this summer as an opportunity to volunteer at a non-profit organization. Animal pounds, Retirement homes, Hospitals, the Boys and Girls Club, etc. are good places to start.
Not only will you meet new people you will encounter new experiences that will help prepare you for an unfamiliar college campus.
Also SAVE MONEY, as much as you can! Most freshmen experience sever sticker chock once they realize the cost of books. Even if your parents will be paying for all of your schooling you will defiantly want spending money since most students spend a full day at school and eat on campus. Also there will be alot of fun things to do at college that will require cash, for example my University has a movie theater, bowling, tons of fast food, and a gym, among other things.
If you like reading I would strongly suggest you find a classic book to read as your summer project. It will keep your mind in "learning mode" and will also be an opportunity to attack a book without deadlines and really work on your comprehension skills.

Side note-If your college has orientation/freshman week be sure to go! It's alot of fun and you will have an opportunity to find your way around campus, as well as met some of your classmates. I would also suggest you figure out where your classes are prior to the first day, that way you won't risk being late, or not finding your classroom. Hope some of this helps.

omg you both are veryy helpful!!! i will be sure to dress nice always, i also have my own "unique" style but that may be inappropiate to wear throughout college so we'll see. Also i am looking for volunteer oppurtunities especially because i want sooooo many different careers that i need to do ALOT Of netwroking with different people and i do highly enjoy reading as well, i finally get my own spare time to read<333

There was a lot of stationary- notebooks, pens, highlighters, post-its that kind of thing. There were also more household things like toothbrushes, tea-towels, sellotape and blue/white tack. And my very-own mug to take away with me!

When you move away for the first time into halls/dorms they are very generic and can often be quite run-down as so many people have lived there previously. Its nice to have some small personal touches to make things feel like yours instantly, like photos and magnets. I'm sure your friends will appreciate anything that you make for them, as its the time and thought that gone into it that counts.

When you get to college, do your best to learn about the different clubs offered there. My first semester, I joined the art club and ended up as vice president the next semester, and I was the president the semester after that one. Clubs are a really great way to meet new people and make friends so you don't feel so awkward around thousands of new people.

Also, keep your own style as much as you can. Conformity is still a relevant issue in college, especially in the freshman class. I can't tell you how many valley-girls in short shorts and the same Abercrombie shirts I've seen around the campuses of the community college I went to as well as the university I'm going to. Being unique will make you closer friends than being superficial will.

If you're receiving financial aid, don't buy crappy food! Seriously. The worst thing for you when you're trying to study and get good grades is eating poorly. Cook as much of your own healthy food as you can. Eating healthy can also save you money, too as long as you don't buy more than you can eat. When I moved from PA to SD to go to the University of South Dakota, I spent probably $130 in groceries a week on a ton of crap I thought I was hungry for, and just ended up throwing it away. Towards the end of this semester, I got down to spending about $20-30 a week on healthy foods like fruits and vegetables, bakery breads, and fresh deli stuff.

If you're going to be residing in a dorm, organizational tools are your best friend. Getting modular storage boxes that can snap or stack together are really great. I live off campus in a pretty big apartment, but keeping everything organized keeps my head straight when I need to study for exams.

Get to know your teachers, too. Knowing a teacher is usually better than knowing your classmates. I've made more friends out of teachers in my college years than I've made friends from my classmates. College kids usually are pretty close to the stereotype of idiots that want to party.

As far as actual school work goes - get a nice laptop and a good printer. Some classes won't allow laptops, though, so make sure you clear it with your instructors first.

I 2nd Monika on the food front. I could barely cook when I left school, but I spent the summer away from home and had to feed myself. It forced me to learn and now I'm not a bad cook. It might not sound it but its often cheaper to cook a pasta sauce, for example, from scratch than buying a jar of sauce (and tastier). And the best thing is you can make it how YOU like it.

It helps to be organised if you are food shopping on a budget- work out how much you can spend, plan your weeks meals (all meals-breakfast, lunch and dinner), write a list then stick to it when you go shopping. Work out the cheapest places to shop (sometimes independent fruit and veg shops or markets are cheaper) or the cheapest times- sometimes supermarkets discount food going off that day an hour or 2 before closing.

Another trick to help spending is to take the amount you can afford out in cash, don't use card. That way you can keep track of what you are spending.

Cooking for yourself can also be a lot of fun. Get a couple of student cook books, experiment and enjoy yourself!

my daughter is off to uni in september to help her feel less home sick we have been working a few things( she's going to be over 300 miles from home )

we've made a recipe book with all her fave foods in and how to 1,cook them (that way she'll have a liitle bit of home with you and you not be just eat toast )
2,i made her a scrap book with all that she's done over the last few months , all her outings with friends and family.
3,we've done to large clip frames and put photos of friends in and friend has wrote a little somthing( it could be something funning the two of you have done or something she/he will remember you by ) along with a photo of them
4,Get you self extra pillows and loads of cushion so you can make your bed double up as a sofa
5, get your self a note board , if its a cork one with a wood frame paint the frame so it with go with your room , and some stickers or chipboard cut out .find the numbers for a local taxi, doctors , hospital, take out place ,hairdresser these can all be put on youyr board .
6, take some postcards these can be sent to friends to say i'm thinking of you (a bit nicer than a text or email) get an address book i know it a little old hat (but wise to have as a back up in case you lose you phone )
7, make a wreak journal with your friends you can all swap with each other and it'll be something fun to take with you

not sure how much help these will be you but oh , have a great time at college

Journal and write letters.Make t=shirt quilts with friends

haha thank you you're all so extremely helpful!! i shouldv'e mentioned that i'll be living at home til i can afford my own place since my school is only 25 min from my home and my job is less than 5 min, but thanks and i was going to join clubs, since i regretted not joining them in high school! i also want to develop really strong bonds with my classmates and i will definitely keep my own unique style, since i have to dress on the kind of conservative side for work i get to have my own crazy style everywhere else!